1990 College Basketball Recap

The Shark, the Bank, and Jimmy V. headlined the year in college basketball. The Shark, a.k.a., Jerry Tarkanian led his UNLV Runnin' Rebels to a national championship, blowing out Duke by 30 points in the NCAA final. The Rebs shook off rumors
and innuendos
of NCAA improprieties during the course of season and became the first team ranked #1 in the preseason to go on to win the title since North Carolina did it in 1982.

The sudden tragic death of Loyola-Marymount star forward Hank “The Bank” Gathers from a heart malfunction inspired his teammates to make a run to the Final Eight. Led by star guard and Gathers' boyhood friend, Bo Kimble, who honored Gather's
memory
by taking his foul shots left-handed, the Lions, an 11-seed, roared past Michigan, the defending national champions with a tournament record 149 points, then edged Alabama by just two points before losing to the school of the Shark in the Regional Finals.

Jimmy Valvano, the controversial coach with the one-of-a-kind spirit, didn't give up, he was fired by N.C. State, the team he led to the National Championship over Houston in 1982.